Nita Lowey: “Mr. Chairman, one of the guiding principles of United States foreign policy is that whenever possible we use our…”

“Mr. Chairman, one of the guiding principles of United States foreign policy is that whenever possible we use our assistance to enable developing countries to stand on their own two feet. That is precisely what this amendment would do and why I support it. Many countries in the developing world have been unable to spend the necessary resources on health care and on education for their citizens because they have been saddled by debilitating debt. New regimes elected with high hopes for economic opportunity and democratic ideals will remain unable to achieve their noble objectives because of debt incurred by previous, often corrupt regimes. Debt relief, as some contend, is not about giving a free ride to developing nations. That is not what we are talking about. It is about helping countries in sub-Saharan Africa build the health care infrastructure necessary to fight the AIDS epidemic. It is about giving countries the chance to educate children, giving them hope for a better future. It is about giving nascent democratic regimes the chance to build constituencies, perpetuating the ideals of democracy abroad. The cost of this amendment, Mr. Chairman, is a small price to pay for the myriad of benefits it will bring.”